Five Names to Remember (1 Viewer)

[orangecrush15]

http://www.mockdraftclub.com/articles/five-names-to-remember

By day three of the NFL Draft interest fades for a lot of fans, but year in and year out guys that go in the fourth round or later end up making pro bowl rosters. Alfred Morris, Aaron Hernandez, Geno Atkins, Carl Nicks, Brandon Marshall, and Elvis Dumervil are just a few of the players that have shined at the NFL level after being drafted as a late round pick. Although lacking in elite talent at the top, this year’s draft is incredibly deep, especially at running back and receiver. Teams could end up getting some real nice value on day three as a result. Below are some guys that- for whatever reason-likely won’t be drafted until the fourth round or later, and could be remembered as downright steals in a few years.

Zac Stacy, RB, Vanderbilt

Doug Martin, Alfred Morris, Fred Jackson. I see all three of those players in Vandy’s Zac Stacy. Like Martin, Stacy is built low to the ground, and has outstanding balance, strength, and leg drive. He runs through arm tackles at line and can run over guys in the open field. He’s not a one trick pony though. Stacy has surprising wiggle to his game, and changes directions well. Similar to Morris, Stacy does a nice job of finding a crease, sticking his foot in the ground, and exploding through it. He’s a down hill, north-south runner that can make you miss one-on-one in addition to running through you. Stacy also has great vision. Like Jackson, he is able to find running lanes that most wouldn’t see, and make something out of nothing when the blocking isn’t there. It’s baffling to me why he is still so under the radar at this point in the process.

Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma

One word defines Stills’ game- explosion. While some guys lose speed as they change directions, Stills seems like he gets even faster. It’s almost like watching that white ball bounce around on a game of pong. He explodes out his breaks, and is very elusive one-on-one. Stills is a very smooth, fluid athlete. He’ll be flying around out there with 4.3 speed, stop on a dime and changes direction, and you think “How the hell didn’t it do that without falling on his ###?. He just makes it look so easy. Stills also possesses outstanding body control, which allows him to contort his body and adjust to the ball in the air. That ability, coupled with his blazing 4.3 speed, making him a dangerous deep threat. Stills gets natural separation as a route runner because of his speed and agility, and with some improved technique could develop into a dangerous receiver in the underneath passing game as well. He has soft, natural hands, and plucks the ball away from his frame. The major knock on Stills to be his size. He may not be the biggest target in the world, but he is very tough, agressive, and embraces contact. Stills is actually pretty dependable at coming away with the ball in traffic, and shows the ability to take a hit and hold on to the ball. Stills is a similar player to Chris Givens. A fourth round pick out of Wake Forest in 2012, Givens shined last year as a rookie in St. Louis.

Rex Burkhead, RB, Nebraska

Burkhead truly has excellent burst. He accelerates to top end speed quickly, and is an absolute load to bring down once he gets going. He’s a blue collar runner, with strong legs and a stronger motor. He’ll fight for every single inch he can get. What surprised me most about Burkhead’s game is how much wiggle he has. He moves laterally very well, and can make some guys miss one-on-one. Burkhead has a great feel for the game. He’s patient in letting things develop and sees the field very well. When he finds the hole, he explodes through it, and get’s downhill. In the open field he can make defenders miss in open field or run them over. He is reliable in pass protection, and occasionally lined up as a receiver. He flashed some natural hands and receiving ability, and projects as a back that can play on all three downs. Although not nearly as large, there are a lot of similarities between his game and Peyton Hillis’s, a 7th round pick out of Arkansas in 2008.

Tavarres King, WR, Georgia

King is only 6 feet tall, but he looks like he’s about 6’10″ with those legs. He explodes off the line, and those long legs lead to big long strides when he starts running. He has the speed to separate naturally, and is a fluid, polished route runner. King is a dangerous vertical presence that can go over the top of you, or beat you on the back shoulder. He tracks the ball in the air very well, and has tremendous body control to adjust on the fly. King has shown the ability to make tough catches in traffic, and after the catch, he is a dangerous player that can make you miss and take it to the house. His hands are somewhat inconsistent, and his frame is slight, but I see King making a nice transition to the NFL. His athleticism, body type, and the vertical nature of his game reminds me a lot of Denarius Moore, who was a 5th round pick out of Tennessee in 2011.

Mark Harrison, WR, Rutgers

Harrison has the ideal blend of size, strength, and speed that makes an elite receiver at the NFL level. At 6’3″ 230 lbs. Harrison is big target that knows how to use his body to his advantage. He positions hims self between the defender and the ball, and has the long arms to grab just about any ball thrown in his area code before a defender can make a play. He has great leaping ability, and is agressive going up in jump ball situations. His size and leaping ability make him a good red zone threat, but Harrison is more than that. He has 4.40 speed and gets natural separation vertically. He runs good routes and especially excels on comebacks where his size, speed, and technique make him almost impossible to defend. After the catch he turns into to a running back, running down hill with force and physicality. However, despite all this talent, Smith’s production at Rutgers was marginal at best. His hands are inconsistent, and for every “WOW” catch he makes, there is an equally stunning drop. 2010 was his best season: 44 catches, 829 yards, 9 TDs. He was voted offensive MVP by his teammates that year, but struggled to regain his form the next two seasons. The natural talent is there for Harrison to make a name for himself in the NFL level. He is in the mold of elite NFL receiving talent like Brandon Marshall and Julio Jones, and if he can overcome the inconsistencies that have plagued him thus far, he could turn out to be a formidable number one receiver in the pros.

-Ryan

I wrote this for my draft site. I'm not trying to plug it. Look at the site or not, it doesn't matter to me. I would love to get your thoughts on these players though...

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Stacy has been my clear #2 RB for a while, nice to see him get some recognition. I really, really like his game.

 

[cdubz]

http://www.mockdraftclub.com/articles/five-names-to-remember

By day three of the NFL Draft interest fades for a lot of fans, but year in and year out guys that go in the fourth round or later end up making pro bowl rosters. Alfred Morris, Aaron Hernandez, Geno Atkins, Carl Nicks, Brandon Marshall, and Elvis Dumervil are just a few of the players that have shined at the NFL level after being drafted as a late round pick. Although lacking in elite talent at the top, this year’s draft is incredibly deep, especially at running back and receiver. Teams could end up getting some real nice value on day three as a result. Below are some guys that- for whatever reason-likely won’t be drafted until the fourth round or later, and could be remembered as downright steals in a few years.

Zac Stacy, RB, Vanderbilt

Doug Martin, Alfred Morris, Fred Jackson. I see all three of those players in Vandy’s Zac Stacy. Like Martin, Stacy is built low to the ground, and has outstanding balance, strength, and leg drive. He runs through arm tackles at line and can run over guys in the open field. He’s not a one trick pony though. Stacy has surprising wiggle to his game, and changes directions well. Similar to Morris, Stacy does a nice job of finding a crease, sticking his foot in the ground, and exploding through it. He’s a down hill, north-south runner that can make you miss one-on-one in addition to running through you. Stacy also has great vision. Like Jackson, he is able to find running lanes that most wouldn’t see, and make something out of nothing when the blocking isn’t there. It’s baffling to me why he is still so under the radar at this point in the process.

Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma

One word defines Stills’ game- explosion. While some guys lose speed as they change directions, Stills seems like he gets even faster. It’s almost like watching that white ball bounce around on a game of pong. He explodes out his breaks, and is very elusive one-on-one. Stills is a very smooth, fluid athlete. He’ll be flying around out there with 4.3 speed, stop on a dime and changes direction, and you think “How the hell didn’t it do that without falling on his ###?. He just makes it look so easy. Stills also possesses outstanding body control, which allows him to contort his body and adjust to the ball in the air. That ability, coupled with his blazing 4.3 speed, making him a dangerous deep threat. Stills gets natural separation as a route runner because of his speed and agility, and with some improved technique could develop into a dangerous receiver in the underneath passing game as well. He has soft, natural hands, and plucks the ball away from his frame. The major knock on Stills to be his size. He may not be the biggest target in the world, but he is very tough, agressive, and embraces contact. Stills is actually pretty dependable at coming away with the ball in traffic, and shows the ability to take a hit and hold on to the ball. Stills is a similar player to Chris Givens. A fourth round pick out of Wake Forest in 2012, Givens shined last year as a rookie in St. Louis.

Rex Burkhead, RB, Nebraska

Burkhead truly has excellent burst. He accelerates to top end speed quickly, and is an absolute load to bring down once he gets going. He’s a blue collar runner, with strong legs and a stronger motor. He’ll fight for every single inch he can get. What surprised me most about Burkhead’s game is how much wiggle he has. He moves laterally very well, and can make some guys miss one-on-one. Burkhead has a great feel for the game. He’s patient in letting things develop and sees the field very well. When he finds the hole, he explodes through it, and get’s downhill. In the open field he can make defenders miss in open field or run them over. He is reliable in pass protection, and occasionally lined up as a receiver. He flashed some natural hands and receiving ability, and projects as a back that can play on all three downs. Although not nearly as large, there are a lot of similarities between his game and Peyton Hillis’s, a 7th round pick out of Arkansas in 2008.

Tavarres King, WR, Georgia

King is only 6 feet tall, but he looks like he’s about 6’10″ with those legs. He explodes off the line, and those long legs lead to big long strides when he starts running. He has the speed to separate naturally, and is a fluid, polished route runner. King is a dangerous vertical presence that can go over the top of you, or beat you on the back shoulder. He tracks the ball in the air very well, and has tremendous body control to adjust on the fly. King has shown the ability to make tough catches in traffic, and after the catch, he is a dangerous player that can make you miss and take it to the house. His hands are somewhat inconsistent, and his frame is slight, but I see King making a nice transition to the NFL. His athleticism, body type, and the vertical nature of his game reminds me a lot of Denarius Moore, who was a 5th round pick out of Tennessee in 2011.

Mark Harrison, WR, Rutgers

Harrison has the ideal blend of size, strength, and speed that makes an elite receiver at the NFL level. At 6’3″ 230 lbs. Harrison is big target that knows how to use his body to his advantage. He positions hims self between the defender and the ball, and has the long arms to grab just about any ball thrown in his area code before a defender can make a play. He has great leaping ability, and is agressive going up in jump ball situations. His size and leaping ability make him a good red zone threat, but Harrison is more than that. He has 4.40 speed and gets natural separation vertically. He runs good routes and especially excels on comebacks where his size, speed, and technique make him almost impossible to defend. After the catch he turns into to a running back, running down hill with force and physicality. However, despite all this talent, Smith’s production at Rutgers was marginal at best. His hands are inconsistent, and for every “WOW” catch he makes, there is an equally stunning drop. 2010 was his best season: 44 catches, 829 yards, 9 TDs. He was voted offensive MVP by his teammates that year, but struggled to regain his form the next two seasons. The natural talent is there for Harrison to make a name for himself in the NFL level. He is in the mold of elite NFL receiving talent like Brandon Marshall and Julio Jones, and if he can overcome the inconsistencies that have plagued him thus far, he could turn out to be a formidable number one receiver in the pros.

-Ryan

I wrote this for my draft site. I'm not trying to plug it. Look at the site or not, it doesn't matter to me. I would love to get your thoughts on these players though...

Depends on how deep your dynasty rosters are. I play in a 12 team 20 man roster league where Stacy and Harrison will definitely be on my radar, but don't know if the others will be given relative upside. Good stuff for deeper leagues though.

 

[Steed]

Stills is a speedster but his upside is that of a #4 wr.

 

[EBF]

Stacy is a popular sleeper on the Internet, but he's never quite popped for me when I've watched his clips. I think he's probably best suited to a backup role in the NFL. Something like a Tashard Choice. Similar package of skills and style. Maybe not quite that good.

I like King as a depth player. He's an efficient route runner. Kind of like a poor man's Reggie Wayne. Just doesn't have a lot of plus athletic traits. No strength. Speed slightly above average, but not enough to make him a real burner. At best I think he's a good #2 receiver.

 

[Nero]

I'm all in on Stacy. I recently put him as my #1 RB. He does every thing well enough. He has good size and is ready to play all three downs. I don't see the Morris and Jackson comps, but he is very similar to Martin IMO.

I'm also with you on Burkhead. He has good production, size, and a very good combine other than the slow 40. Currently got him 12, but will certainly be watching where he lands. It will probably take an injury for him to get an extended look, but I would expect him to take advantage of it in a Pierre Thomas kind of way.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

I'm all in on Stacy. I recently put him as my #1 RB. He does every thing well enough. He has good size and is ready to play all three downs. I don't see the Morris and Jackson comps, but he is very similar to Martin IMO.

But an often forgotten point is that in the NFL, you don't want to be the RB who "does everything well enough". RB isn't like QB or MLB in this regard. The backs with B-grade size, speed, vision, and agility usually wind up as journeymen, fantasy waiver-wire fodder stuck behind one or two guys who are A+ at one thing and C's or D's at everything else. I don't hate Stacy, and haven't seen enough tape on him to cite specifics if I did, but to me he seems like a guy who's almost quick enough for his size, almost big enough for his agility level, and not quite good enough elsewhere (receiving, blocking, etc.) to make up for not being elite where it counts. I think he'll most likely be an average NFL RB, and maybe even a good risk-reward play at where he's typically been getting drafted - but seems to me you'd want a little more than that out of a guy you're putting at the top of his positional list.

 

[Nero]

I'm all in on Stacy. I recently put him as my #1 RB. He does every thing well enough. He has good size and is ready to play all three downs. I don't see the Morris and Jackson comps, but he is very similar to Martin IMO.

But an often forgotten point is that in the NFL, you don't want to be the RB who "does everything well enough". RB isn't like QB or MLB in this regard. The backs with B-grade size, speed, vision, and agility usually wind up as journeymen, fantasy waiver-wire fodder stuck behind one or two guys who are A+ at one thing and C's or D's at everything else. I don't hate Stacy, and haven't seen enough tape on him to cite specifics if I did, but to me he seems like a guy who's almost quick enough for his size, almost big enough for his agility level, and not quite good enough elsewhere (receiving, blocking, etc.) to make up for not being elite where it counts. I think he'll most likely be an average NFL RB, and maybe even a good risk-reward play at where he's typically been getting drafted - but seems to me you'd want a little more than that out of a guy you're putting at the top of his positional list.

I don't view him as being B grade in everything. His combine workout was impressive. 5'8 3/8 and 216 is stout, and only two backs surpassed his 27 bench reps. He was second by 1/100 of a second to Michael in the three cone and 6th in the shuttle. He also had solid production in the SEC. Its Doug Martin all over again IMO. For this class, he should be #1. Hopefully he lands well.

 

[coachbobbyfinstock]

Harrison went poo-poo on the floor. LOl. sorry guys I couldn't resist.

 

[Drop]

I agree on King, his outside the numbers skillset is nice. It's not hard to imagine where he would fit in with any team.

I disagree on Burkhead because of his speed. He can't be a big play guy, he's going to be at a disadvantage with respect to how defenses will account for him because they know what he can't do. I don't really see him ever being a factor back for a good team because of the competition he'll face from existing and incoming players. Even if he plays well he's still going to be viewed as an easy upgrade when better backs become available. I think that he has some skills, but I don't think he'll be able to execute them at a high level in the NFL because he's just not going to be effective enough compared to better players who bring a more significant dimension to the table.

 

[Nero]

I agree on King, his outside the numbers skillset is nice. It's not hard to imagine where he would fit in with any team.

I disagree on Burkhead because of his speed. He can't be a big play guy, he's going to be at a disadvantage with respect to how defenses will account for him because they know what he can't do. I don't really see him ever being a factor back for a good team because of the competition he'll face from existing and incoming players. Even if he plays well he's still going to be viewed as an easy upgrade when better backs become available. I think that he has some skills, but I don't think he'll be able to execute them at a high level in the NFL because he's just not going to be effective enough compared to better players who bring a more significant dimension to the table.

Its easy to get stuck on burkhead's 40 time and think he is some slow white guy that can't compete. Burkhead finished 2nd in the vert, 2nd in the broad, 2nd in the shuttle and 4th in the 3 cone with a 4.73 40 at the combine. So he obviously doesn't have any long speed. Given his college production and combine performance, I will give him a pass on the 4.73. I think he will show well at the next level when given a chance.

 

[Drop]

I've seen him play and I think he's a good college player, but why doesn't the 40 match up with the other stuff? What's he going to do in the NFL, juke everyone and go nowhere? Or maybe get stuck or strung out on runs because he can't explode through the hole fast enough.

If he has success, teams will stack the box and he won't be able to hurt them with the homerun often enough, that's why I think he's at a disadvantage. If he plays well and has any sustainable significant impact on games the adjustment will most likely nullify him.

If he gets big holes he'll run through them, but from what I saw in college I don't think he's a special enough player to make things happen otherwise. If he gets big holes why wouldn't a team just want a guy who can run through them much faster? This is why the competition amongst his own teammates hinders his potential as a pro, because they offer a dimension that he lacks. Just because he can do other things doesn't really make up for it. All dimensions are not created equally.

I seem to remember Burkhead having some injury history. I could be wrong, but I thought he had some bulky knee brace on in college. Just another problem because he's going to get hit in the NFL given his speed and usefulness. If he's tough to tackle up high he'll see even more shots to the legs. I'm just saying this, I don't know his exact medical history and I don't know how good he is as a RB at rolling with the punches and not taking bad hits which is an under appreciated nuance . It all boils down to me not seeing much of a realistic path for him to become successful in the NFL on any sort of competitive team.

 

[Nero]

I've seen him play and I think he's a good college player, but why doesn't the 40 match up with the other stuff? What's he going to do in the NFL, juke everyone and go nowhere? Or maybe get stuck or strung out on runs because he can't explode through the hole fast enough.

If he has success, teams will stack the box and he won't be able to hurt them with the homerun often enough, that's why I think he's at a disadvantage. If he plays well and has any sustainable significant impact on games the adjustment will most likely nullify him.

If he gets big holes he'll run through them, but from what I saw in college I don't think he's a special enough player to make things happen otherwise. If he gets big holes why wouldn't a team just want a guy who can run through them much faster? This is why the competition amongst his own teammates hinders his potential as a pro, because they offer a dimension that he lacks. Just because he can do other things doesn't really make up for it. All dimensions are not created equally.

I seem to remember Burkhead having some injury history. I could be wrong, but I thought he had some bulky knee brace on in college. Just another problem because he's going to get hit in the NFL given his speed and usefulness. If he's tough to tackle up high he'll see even more shots to the legs. I'm just saying this, I don't know his exact medical history and I don't know how good he is as a RB at rolling with the punches and not taking bad hits which is an under appreciated nuance . It all boils down to me not seeing much of a realistic path for him to become successful in the NFL on any sort of competitive team.

Exploding through a hole is not a ploblem for Burkhead. I think that is reflected in his workout. He appears to have plenty burst when hitting a hole. Its a good thing he doesn't have to run 40 yards to do that.

 

[bengalbuck]

I think all 3 of the WRs you listed are long striders and will have a tough time getting in and out of their breaks without tipping off their route. Those guys with long strides have to kind of shorten their stride right before they make a cut (chop their feet) and that is something you can get away with in college, but not the NFL. Ted Ginn is a good example of a guy who is incredibly fast, but such a long strider that he can't effectively run most NFL routes and is thus limited to the role of special teamer and guy who will run a couple deep routes a game. I think Corey Fuller is anther guy in this draft with the same issue.

 

[Drop]

I think all 3 of the WRs you listed are long striders and will have a tough time getting in and out of their breaks without tipping off their route. Those guys with long strides have to kind of shorten their stride right before they make a cut (chop their feet) and that is something you can get away with in college, but not the NFL. Ted Ginn is a good example of a guy who is incredibly fast, but such a long strider that he can't effectively run most NFL routes and is thus limited to the role of special teamer and guy who will run a couple deep routes a game. I think Corey Fuller is anther guy in this draft with the same issue.

So how does a long strider become successful in the NFL exactly? What abilities trump the implied disadvantage of being a long strider? How long does a stride have to be to be considered long?

 

[Donnybrook]

Stills is a speedster but his upside is that of a #4 wr.

I not sure why you would say this? He needs to go the right team that would use him. For example, he could be a star if he played slot for the the Giants. (and I know that Victor Cruz has that spot sewn up) Remember when Steve Smith 107 receptions in one season with the Giants. Smith and Stills have similar measurables. . .

I still think he is risky pick (low floor high ceiling) but his upside is much higher than a #4 WR.

 

[Nero]

I think all 3 of the WRs you listed are long striders and will have a tough time getting in and out of their breaks without tipping off their route. Those guys with long strides have to kind of shorten their stride right before they make a cut (chop their feet) and that is something you can get away with in college, but not the NFL. Ted Ginn is a good example of a guy who is incredibly fast, but such a long strider that he can't effectively run most NFL routes and is thus limited to the role of special teamer and guy who will run a couple deep routes a game. I think Corey Fuller is anther guy in this draft with the same issue.

So how does a long strider become successful in the NFL exactly? What abilities trump the implied disadvantage of being a long strider? How long does a stride have to be to be considered long?

Being tall and really fast says Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson.